


Fragmented Memories

by Tachi_Sakon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Amnesia, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Childhood Sweethearts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Memory Loss, Mermaids, Merman Miya Atsumu, Merman Sakusa Kiyoomi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Recovered Memories, Temporary Amnesia, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28898859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tachi_Sakon/pseuds/Tachi_Sakon
Summary: Sakusa Kiyoomi didn’t remember anything from before the age of thirteen. His pod had moved, he and his family settled down somewhere else and he loved his life.Now, he was placed in a new place, everything changed and the strange air of familiarity surrounding him.Why was he here?All he had was a broken sand dollar in  clutched his hand and the feeling of someone’s arms around him. Someone he didn’t know.Why was his heart racing so?He was happy where he was.Why did he feel like he had seen this reef before? Why did he hear the ghosts familiar laughter around him?He didn’t know, but all he knew was that he had been here before.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu & Suna Rintarou, Miya Atsumu & Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Osamu & Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sakusa Kiyoomi & Suna Rintarou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	1. Happiness comes at a Price

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hellfire123456](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellfire123456/gifts), [Su1010](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Su1010/gifts), [min_mintobe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/min_mintobe/gifts).



> It’s cute now, but wait for it 
> 
> I wrote this between the early hours of 1 AM and 4 because I couldn’t sleep

Sakusa Kiyoomi has been saving up for a piano for as long as he can remember. 

Well, ever since he heard about them from Papa Miya when he went over to visit Atsumu and Osamu for a day four weeks ago. Each and everyday at dawn, for four weeks, he would make his way to the shore, flop down on the sand and call for a sea lion to help him scoot along the sand, collecting sand dollars and laughing. He even made a special little pouch like bag for his sea dollars out of seaweed and old finishing nets that he finds in caves near the reef.

Today, he was going to get his piano without fail. _He had to._

“Mama, mama!” He called, beaming up at his mom, tail swishing and chubby, red cheeks stretched happily. 

“Good morning, my little guppy.” Mama Omi laughed, her arms outstretched for her son to swim into. “Look at that smile!”

“I’m not a guppy,” Kiyoomi groaned at his mother, wrinkling his nose.

“Yes, yes, I know.” The mermaid nodded, poking the two little moles over her son’s left brow, identical to her own. “You’re a big merman!”

“Yeah!” Kiyoomi giggled and ducked his mother’s hands. “Look mama,” he said beaming at his mother, swimming up to her and hugging her around her waist. “I finally saved up enough for that big thingy I saw at the market last week!”

That’s nice dear,” the tall mermaid hummed smiling at her son. Bending, she reached out and took her little merboy into a hug and ruffled his hair. “Excited as ever, I see.”

“You bet!” Kiyoomi squealed. “Today I’m gonna buy it and when I bring it home I’ll play a song for you and dad!” He wiggled out of his mom’s hug and began to swim excited circles around his her tail. “Then you and papa won’t be so angry at each other all the time and you’ll be happy!”

The mermaid went still for a moment, making Kiyoomi look up at her; innocent eyes wide.

“Mama?”

Snapping out of her trance, Mama Omi shook her head with a little chuckle. “It’s nothing, baby.” She sighs, setting Kiyoomi down and patting his head. “Why don’t you go get your bag ready for the market?”

Kiyoomi nodded eagerly and stretched to peck his mother’s cheek messily before swimming off. “Yes, mama!”

The mermaid watched her son zoom away, sad smile curving her lips. She appreciated his efforts; she really did. But there wasn’t much her little boy could do for her and her husband. “I hope that you get what you’ve always wanted,” she whispered.

* * *

Kiyoomi hummed happily as he strapped on his little bag made of fishing nets and seaweed. “I wonder how big it’ll be,” he said, curious. “Maybe it’ll be tiny.. or huge!” 

Shaking his head, the little merboy laughed before eagerly rushing out of his little conch hut, waving to his mom with the largest smile on his face.

“Bye, bye mama!” He called. “See you soon with my new piano!”

“Have fun and be safe!” Mama Omi waved back fondly.

* * *

“Papa, d’ya _have_ to run the stand today?”

Brushing the sand off of the counter he had made with drift wood, a tanned, gray haired merman nodded. “O’course I do, kiddo.” He hummed. “Gotta do somethin’ to help up get by. It can’t be only yer mama.”

The carbon copy of the tall merman, swam out from where he hid behind his father’s hips. “But we’re gettin’ along just fine, papa!” 

Reaching around himself to take his son into his arms, Papa Miya chortled softly and held up the little merboy, smiling at his arms if he was his everything. “C’mon Atsumu,” he said, gently nuzzling his nose against his son’s, “papa’s gotta work.”

“But I wanna play!” Atsumu wailed shaking his head. “Ya never have time for me and ‘Samu anymore!” 

“When I finish workin’ I promise that we’ll play.” Papa Miya replied.

Atsumu pouted at his dad. “Promise?” He asks with pleading eyes as he held out his pinky. “ _Pinky_ promise?” 

Laughing, Papa Miya hooked his pinky with his son’s and nodded. “Promise.”

Atsumu looked up at his father, eyes filled with admiration and hopefulness. ““Cross yer heart and hope t’die?”

“Cross my heart hope t’die.” Papa Miya agreed.

* * *

Kiyoomi let out a shriek of excitement once he finally arrived at the markets, immediately beelining for the “human resources” stand run by the Miya’s father; someone that he always had the joy of seeing.

“Hello mister!” Kiyoomi waved happily at who he felt was like another father to him. Swishing over to a wooden stand and the tall, grey haired and thin shouldered merman relaxing at the counter.

The merman glanced up, “Hm?”

Kiyoomi watched with a wide smile as the merman perked up as he took notice of him, immediately sending a soft smile his way. 

“Hey! If it isn’t lil’ Omi.” The grey haired merman greeted as Kiyoomi stopped in front of his stand. “What brings ya here?”

He wasted no time. “I want a piano!” Kiyoomi announced.

The older merman’s grin slowly faded from his thin lips, blinking at the young child confusedly with brown eyes. “A.. _what_?” He repeated slowly.

Kiyoomi’s smile faltered ever so slightly as he stared up at his friend’s father. “I came for a piano,” he repeats in a whisper. “I saved up all of my sand dollars for it— see?” He says, holding up his bag to show Miya all his sand dollars and hard work. “I saved so many!”

Papa Miya immediately felt his chest constrict painfully as he realized that he was going to have to slowly explain to an excited child that he didn’t have what he wanted.Forcing a small smile back on his face, he nodded at Kiyoomi. “I see.” He rasped. “Very impressive, lil’ Omi.”

“So, when can I get my piano?”

There it was: the dreaded question. His head flooded with the thought of how heartbroken the merboy was going to be when he slowly breaks it down for him. He saved all those sand-dollars for the one thing only to find out that he can’t get it. 

“Lil’ Omi,” Papa Miya began gently, prompting Kiyoomi to look into his face. 

“Yes?”

Papa Miya resisted the urge to rub his temples and bite his gums. He knew that he was going to regret this, but it wasn’t as if it was something that Kiyoomi wouldn’t find out for himself later. Might as well tell him, break it to him as gently as possible rather than have him in pain later.

Taking a deep breath, Papa Miya sighed, “I don’t have any pianos here at my stand, kiddo.”

The merman grimaced as he watched the boy’s face slowly drop. He could practically see the clogs working in Kiyoomi’s head, slowed by hope.

Kiyoomi didn’t want to accept it. Surely Miya was just kidding with him, right? He shook his head. “That’s impossible, Papa Miya!” He said, falsely eager. “You have everything, even pianos! I know you do because Atsumu talks about them all the time and how he’s gonna—” he trailed off as Papa Miya keep shaking his head.

_No. Nononono.._

He was crushed. “So you mean,” the little mer’s lips began to quiver, “I can’t get it?”

The father shook his head with a sad smile, his bangs swaying. “I’m really sorry lil’ un,” he murmured gently, “but I just don’t have it.” 

“But you have to!” Kiyoomi tried to keep his hopes up. “You have everything!”

Miya shook his head again, upset. “‘M sorry, lil’ un. I don’t have a piano here.”

Sakusa's dark eyes went wide and began to water, his lips trembling and tail swishing. “Ican’t get it..” He mumbled, tripping over his tongue as he raised chubby fists and began to rub at his eyes, sniffling. “I can’t get it!”

Sensing a tantrum, Miya gathered himself and quickly swam out from around the stand and placed his hands on the littler mer’s shoulders; kneeling before him. “C’mon Omi,” he pleaded with Kiyoomi, gentle as ever, “don’t cry.” 

  
The grey haired merman's brows furrowed, upset, as Kiyoomi let out a little sob.

“Oh, buddy—” Papa Miya sighed rubbing Kiyoomi’s back gently as he hiccuped into his hands. “Shh..”

“I-I..” Sakusa wails. “—I worked so hard.. and I saved so much—” he uncurled his fists and held out his grubby hands to show the older man his sand dollars; only to sob louder when he found out that they broke when he accidentally crushed them in his fists. “And now they’re broken!”

“Shh,” Miya hushes, gently gathering the sobbing boy into his arms; cradling him against his chest as he hiccups on words, “it’s okay lil’ Omi, ‘s okay.. yer gonna be fine, everythin’s gonna be just fine.”

“I-I wanted a piano so m-much.” Kiyoomi choked. “I promised mama that I’d play songs for her to make her happy.. a-and now I can’t!”

“It’s okay Omi, I’m sure that yer mother’ll understand. She’s a very understandin’ lady.” Miya soothed. “I’m sure that yer gonna make her happy with or without a piano.”

Kiyoomi sniffled and buried his face into Miya’s chest, clutching at his shoulders with tiny fingers; heartbroken as the merman cradled him back and forth, whispering little nothing’s to him to calm him down.

* * *

“Cant catch me, _blah_!”

“Hey, that’s cheatin’!”

“There’s no cheatin’ in this game, Sunarin! Yer just a sore ol’ loser!”

“Tell me that to my face ya coward!”

“ _Nah_!”

Atsumu giggled as his friend let out a groan of frustration, zipping and darting past sponges and coral. He was having fun with getting on his friend’s nerves and playing tag until he heard crying.

_Familiar crying coming from the direction of his dad’s stand._

“What happened?” The little blonde muttered as he peeked out from behind a brain coral. “That’s some loud cryin’.”

The sobs continued from the direction of the markets. Atsumu frowned, deciding he had enough and was going to find out what was going on, swimming out from behind some coral where he had managed to take refuge from his other friend and their previous game to see what happened at his dad’s stand.

“Ah! There ya are!”

“ _Shh_!” Atsumu whirled around with a finger to his lips, shushing his friend that had swum up behind him and draped his arms over his shoulders.

The other merboy tilted his head. “Why?”

Atsumu clicked his tongue and shrugged his friend off of him. “‘Cause I’m leavin’ ya, that’s why!”

“Why?”

“Shove off, Sunarin!” Atsumu rolled his eyes as he left the merboy swaying by the corals. “Go find ‘Samu or somethin’!”

Suna shrugged, “‘Kay.” and swam off, leaving the blonde alone. Sighing, the merboy continued closer to his dad’s stand. “Hey, papa!” Atsumu called as he swam over to his dad, arms stretched out. “What happened?”

“Ah,” Papa Miya glanced up from the crying boy in his arms to smile tiredly at his son. “Hey kiddo,” he greeted softly, “nothin’ just an upset lil’ guppy here who wanted a piano.”

“‘M not a guppy!” Kiyoomi wailed, voice muffled by Papa Miya’s chest.

“Sorry lil’ Omi.” Papa Miya hummed as he patted the soft curls. “I know.”

Atsumu’s face morphed from happy to confused and then to frustrated. “Guppy?” He tilted his head, eyebrows raised. “What guppy— oh,” Atsumu trailed off as understanding flooded his face. Pointing at his dad, the blonde announced, “Silly papa, that’s no guppy! That’s Sak’sa!”   
  


Papa Miya shook his head at his son, long, sleek tail swaying slowly.

“What? Hey papa?” He frowned as his dad turns away from his and continued to stroke the little mer’s hair. “Why ‘s he cryin’, papa?” He mumbled, inching closer; wrapping his short arms around his dad’s shoulders, hanging. “Did he hurt ‘imself or somethin’?”

Miya shook his head with a small chuckle. “Nothin’ like that son.” He sighs glancing back down at Sakusa, heart melting with every shaking sniffle. “At least, not physically.”

Atsumu blinked at his dad. “Huh?” He peeped, brown eyes flickering to his friend. “Physically??”

The blonde boy unhooked himself from around his dad’s shoulders and swan up to his friend. Reaching out with a sheepish smile, Atsumu placed a hand on Sakusa’s curly head and patted it gently. “I don’t know why yer crying’, but I’m sure than you’ll be okay, Sak’sa!” He bubbles.

“Are ya tryin’ to act all nice to lil’ Omi now, ‘Tsumu?” Papa Miya sighs as he wipes away stray tears from Sakusa’s ruddy cheeks.

Atsumu huffed and ignores his dad, keeping his focus on his sobbing friend. “Whaddya mean?! I’m always this nice to Sak’sa, papa!”

“N-no you aren’t,” Kiyoomi whines.

Papa Miya let out a laugh as his son gasps loudly and quickly draws sway from Kiyoomi, slapping a hand over his chest.

“Hey!” Atsumu nearly screeches, indignant and hurt, “ya can’t say that ‘bout yer best friend!”

Kiyoomi ignores him and cuddles back with Papa Miya, mumbling, “.. broken.”

“There, there,” Papa Miya says for what seems to be the hundredth time, “stop yer cryin’.. it’ll be alright.”

Kiyoomi doesn’t believe him. All he wants is his piano and for his parents to be happy. “I-if I can’t make mama and papa happy, they won’t love me..” he gasps.

“That’s impossible!” Atsumu chimes in as his father stares in shock at the youngest child. “Parents should always be happy!”

“Not mine,” Kiyoomi wails. 

Atsumu fell silent, staring at his friend with a shocked expression on his face, glistening in his eyes and reflected in his posture.

Papa Miya heaved a long sigh. He hates when children cry, and he hates it even more when he can’t fix the problem.

“Tell you what,” Papa Miya says gently, propping a finger under Kiyoomi’s chin to get him to look up into his eyes.

Kiyoomi blinks up at the grey haired merman, tired and tear stained. “What,” he mumbles tripping over this tongue, “M-Miya-San?”

Papa Miya smiles at him. “I’ll help ya get that piano.”

Kiyoomi’s lips fall open. “Really?” He asks. “Really, Miya-San?”

Papa Miya nods, determined. “And I’ll even teach ya how to play it.” He promises. “Yer gonna be the best piano player ever, lil’ Omi.”

Atsumu watches his dad with a proud smile because he knows that it’ll happen.

“Of course, Sak’sa!” The mini blonde version of his father bubbles as his arms fly and tail swishes wildly. “An’ since I’m yer best friend and the best player at this side of the sea, I’ll teach ya so we can’t play sea songs t’gether!”

“Ye mean shanties,” Papa Miya laughed.

“Yeah, yeah those things!”

Kiyoomi looks up from under Papa Miya’s arms and wipes his snotty face on his bag. “Shanties?” He repeats slowly.

Papa Miya chuckles and pats his head. “They’re songs that ye can sing with ‘Tsumu.” He hums, smirking at his son. “Or that _he_ can sing _to_ ya.”

Kiyoomi doesn’t understand the father’s implication and stares up at him, head tilted and watery lashes fluttering while Atsumu flushes and clenches his chubby fists, spluttering at his dad.

“ _Papa_!” Atsumu cries.

“Yeah?” Papa Miya grins.

“Papa!” He wails again, pouting.

“Hush ‘Tsumu,” Papa Miya scolds, “yer confusin’ poor lil’ Omi.”

Kiyoomi frowns up at his friend’s father, face a complete mess, and shakes his head. “I’m not little!”

Atsumu takes the opportunity to tease his friend, covering up his embarrassment. “Yeah, yer so tiny and little, Omi! A baby guppy!”

“I am not a baby guppy!”

“Are too!” Atsumu sticks out his tongue at Kiyoomi as the younger merman swats his tail at him. “A crybaby!”  
  


Kiyoomi blubbers into Papa Miya’s chest and reburies himself into his arms, curling around himself. Papa Miya raises his eyebrows at his son; Atsumu immediately quieting and hanging his head, muttering, “Sorry papa.”

“‘S not me ya gotta apologize to, Tsumu.” Papa Miya sighs, rolling his head to get the kinks out of his neck. “It’s Omi.”

Atsumu wrings his fingers and pushes out his lower lip into a pout. “I don’t wanna.”

“Atsumu,”

“Okay, papa..”

Papa Miya smiles. “That’s a good man,” he nods, patting his son’s head before letting Sakusa swim out from under his arms. Drawing himself back to full height, Miya crosses his arms over his chest and smiles down at his son and the other met boy whom he thought of as his own.

“Sorry for callin’ ya a guppy, Sak’sa..” Atsumu mutters sticking out a hand. “Forgive me?” He adds hopefully, glancing up.

Kiyoomi hesitates. “Well..” He glances up at the older merman for reassurance, eyes pleading.

Papa Miya nods. “Go on, kiddo.” 

“‘Kay,” Kiyoomi mumbles. Turning away from Papa Miya with a small whimper, he hangs his head back to Atsumu before returning his glance shyly with a small nod, taking his hand. “It’s okay, Atsumu.”

Papa Miya pats both boy’s heads, kneeling to be at their level. “Good job, kiddos.” He says to them. “Done like true friends.”

He tilts his head when he hears a shaky breath being drawn. Blinking, Kiyoomi asks, “A-Atsumu?”

Atsumu has tears running down red cheeks, mirroring Kiyoomi’s own snotty face. “‘M sorry,” He cries falling forward into the younger merboy. “‘ _M sorry, Sak’sa!_ ”

Kiyoomi’s eyes fill with a fresh wave of tears as he wraps his arms around Atsumu, clutching at him tightly and letting out a wail into the crook of his neck. “‘S okay, Atsumu!”

Papa Miya watched with fond eyes as the two of his closest boys exchanged watery “sorry’s” and hugged each other with chubby arms wrapped around each other’s waists and shoulders. It was a cute yet funny sight to behold; two snotty children. 

“I promise that I’ll get ya that piano, Sak’sa!” Atsumu cried. “I’ll teach ya how to play all those s-shanties and we’ll have as much fun as we can and— and..”

Kiyoomi nodded. “I-I know you will,” he gasped, cheeks crimson by now and little chest heaving. “And I p-promise that I-I’ll stay with you forever!”

“Forever an’ ever, Sak’sa?” Atsumu whispered.

“Forever and ever!” Sakusa agreed. “Until I become kelp!” 

“I-I’ll stay with ya ‘till I become a urchin thingy!”

Papa Miya laughed. “I’m sure you two will be happy together for so long; such good friends.”

_I don’t think that yer gonna become an urchin though, ‘Tsumu._

Kiyoomi and Atsumu grant each other shaking smiles before bursting out laughing at each other’s ruined faces.

“We’ll always be together!” The chorus to Papa Miya as they beam at each other, childish; still linked together.“Always and forever!”


	2. No worries, just keep swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️❤️ I love you guys ❤️❤️

“That’s right, lil’ Omi!” Papa Miya cheers as Kiyoomi perks up and nods, sniffling. “That’s a good man!” 

Kiyoomi smiles up at the older merman and let’s him reach down to wipe his ruddy cheeks with his palms. “Thanks, Miya-San.” 

Miya bonks his and Kiyoomi’s foreheads together affectionately, gently and shakes his head with a chuckle. “Yer very welcome, lil’ Omi.” He whispers. “‘S what family does after all.” 

At this, the curly haired boy’s lips trembled and he returns Papa Miya’s gentle stare.  What would he do without the man,  his mind mumbles as he feels a new wave of fresh tears blur his vision. 

“It’s normal,” Miya hums, Kiyoomi’s face cupped in his hands; lowering his head and nuzzling the boy’s nose, earning rasping giggles.

“ _Hey_! He’s my dad!” Atsumu cuts in, placing himself between Kiyoomi and Papa Miya, a pout on his face. Glaring at his friend and wrapping his arms around his dad’s neck, he yells, “You can’t have him!” 

Stumbling back as Atsumu continues to push him away from Kiyoomi, Papa Miya raises a hand to run his fingers through his grey bangs, raking them back. “No one’s takin’ me anywhere, ‘Tsumu.” He sighs as the blonde boy sits on his chest, still glaring at Kiyoomi who flares back, hugging his arm like a seahorse clinging to coral.   
  
  


“But he said that I’m family!” Kiyoomi wails, attempting to tug the merman back towards him; Papa Miya letting out a soft ‘ _ oof _ ’ at the frisk motion. 

“We all know that ye aren’t _real_ family!” Atsumu shoots back, arms tightening around his dad’s neck. “Yer only a friend!” 

“Says who?!” 

“Says I! That’s who says!”

“ _Nah_! That doesn’t count!” Kiyoomi yells. “It’s Miya-San who gets to make the call!” He immediately turns to Papa Miya with the largest set of puppy eyes that he could muster and mumbled, “Isn’t that right?” 

Papa Miya finds himself offering the dark haired boy a small grin and freeing his arm to pat his head, only to have it yanked back by Atsumu who barreled into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him for a brief moment. 

“I— ‘ _ Tsumu _ !”

“I won’t give  _ my _ amazin’ dad up to a guppy like  _ Sak’sa _ !” Atsumu groans. 

“I’m not a guppy!” Kiyoomi stick out his tongue at Atsumu before sucking with a gasp behind Papa Miya’s back to avoid a swat from the blonde. “I’m more of a merman than you are!” He finished, still hiding. 

“Says the guppy hidin’ behind papa’s back!” 

“If I’m a guppy, then you’re a ugly, slimy...” Kiyoomi bites his tongue as he searches for the right words before gasping out at Atsumu, “ _ eel _ !” 

“Am not!” 

“Are too!” 

“Not!” 

“Too!” 

“ _Not_!” 

“ _Too_!”

“Boys,” Miya begins as he sits up on the sandy flooring in the hut, hoping to catch their attention, “please—” 

But, Kiyoomi and Atsumu don’t seem to hear him, continuing to jibe and yell at each other. 

“Seven tentacled octopus!” 

“Feathered sea slug!” 

“Blob fish!” Atsumu pushes down his nose with his fingers and sticks out his tongue. “That’s what ya look like! _This_!”

Kiyoomi crosses his arms over his chest and snorts at Atsumu. “You can’t even find those around here!” 

“Who cares?!” Atsumu waggles his fingers and tries to mirror Kiyoomi’s snort to emphasize his point. “Stupid,  _ stupid _ !”

“You’re the one who looks like it anyway!” Kiyoomi points at Atsumu. “And you’re the stupid one for thinking that blob fish live around here!” 

Papa Miya snaps.

“ _ Boys _ !” 

Both Atsumu and Kiyoomi turn around to face the merman, Kiyoomi’s eyes wide and mouth snapped shut; Atsumu’s mouth hanging agape and eyes squeezed shut. 

“Sorry, papa!” They wailed together, Atsumu grabbing Kiyoomi’s fins and fiddling with them as Kiyoomi but his nails with a nervous gleam in his eyes. 

Papa Miya heaved a sigh and let his hands fall from his hips, shaking his head. “Boys..” he muttered swimming to the sofa and sitting down, he opened his arms and muttered, “C’mere.” 

Atsumu and Kiyoomi glanced at each other before rushing over to Papa Miya and snuggling under each arm and into his sides before the merman leaned back and held them. 

_Boys_ — 

But he wouldn’t change them for the world. 

* * *

“So you see? Neither of you are stupid,” Papa Miya said as he looked to each of the boys snuggled against him, “and lil’ Omi is right about blob fish.” 

Atsumu rubbed his cheek against his father’s smooth scales, fingering them with small grumbles and refusing to look to Kiyoomi who did similar actions to his at Miya’sothet side. “No fair,” he mumbled.

“C’mon son,” Papa Miya said, voice tired as Atsumu cuddles deeper under his “wing”. 

“No, Sak’sa’s just a guppy with a big mouth.” 

Miya startled as Kiyoomi stirred and rounded up from his side, teeth grit at Atsumu. “Am not!” 

“Are, are, are,  _ are _ !” 

“Not,” Kiyoomi hissed, snapping at Atsumu making Papa Miya snort softly 

And there they went again.

“ _ Humph _ !” 

“Humph, yourself!” 

His boys.

* * *

Miya was more relieved than he had been after the crowning of the king of the sea when he finally managed to calm both Kiyoomi and Atsumu down. 

“Have we cooled off now?” He hummed, glancing from his son to his son’s friend through slightly lidded eyes.

Kiyoomi nods slightly and Atsumu mumbles, “I guess so.”

“Fantastic,” 

The merman and the two boys sit in silence, until Atsumu perks up andsuggests happily that they go for a swim. 

“Why don’t we go?” He asks beaming up at Miya and Kiyoomi. 

Papa Miya shrugs and ruffled Atsumu’s hair. “‘M sorry ‘Tsumu, but I still have work to do.” He says, smile slipping as his son visibly deflates. “I know!” He suddenly says. “Why don’tcha go with Omi?” 

He gently pushes Kiyoomi to Atsumu with the gentle nudges of his hand. “Go on now, go on.” 

When he sees that both boys are hesitant, he exclaims, “Seems like the two of ye are guppies!” to which Atsumu shakes his head and Kiyoomi groans. 

“Then make up! It’s not like yer gonna bite each other, or am I missin’ somethin’?”   
  


  
“No!”   
  


  
“No!”   
  
  


Papa Miya inclines his head. “Well then,” he trails off.

The two merboys exchange a roll of their eyes and grinned at each other.

“C’mon, Sak’sa!” Atsumu says with a laugh as he hops off the little sofa, taking Kiyoomi’s hands. “Let’s go!” 

“‘Kay,” Kiyoomi agrees, reluctantness melting away as he meets Papa Miya’s gaze for a moment. Nodding he lets Atsumu pull him. “I guess I’ll go.”

Astumu looks to his dad, lips curled and let’s put a squeal when he nods. Spinning Kiyoomi around in circles, he laughs with his friends who has finally broken from his slump and was beaming as if the sun had broken through the ocean. 

“Yay!” Atsumu yells. 

“Yay!” Kiyoomi parrots. 

Papa Miya stands, arms crossed over his chest comfortably and smiles down at his sons as they twist and twirl around him. He always loves to see them happy and all smiles; it makes him feel as though he hasn’t failed. 

Atsumu lets a mischievous smirk ghost his face as he lets go of Kiyoomi and makes a ‘shushing’ gesture with his finger to his lips, mouthing, ‘ _ wait _ ,’ to Kiyoomi.

Kiyoomi’s eyes go wide as he blinks curiously at Atsumu for a moment before a similar smirk appears on his skinned lips. Nodding, he shoots Atsumu a thumbs up and mouths back, ‘ _ okay !’  _

Papa Miya resists the urge to roll his eyes fondly and pretends to remain oblivious as his son swims around his waist and hides behind him, giggling into his grubby hands. What was the fun in ruining the attack? He would reciprocate in his own little ways.

Kiyoomi can’t contain his laughter. He too begins to snort behind his palms as he watches Atsumu ready to pounce on Papa Miya. 

Atsumu peeks out from behind his dad’s hips to wink at Kiyoomi before ducking back and sticking out three fingers. Kiyoomi recognizes the cue and counts down with Atsumu and Papa Miya. 

‘ _ Three _ ,’ 

Kiyoomi puts a finger down, Papa Miya smiles and Atsumu swirls his tail. 

‘ _ Two _ ,” 

Kiyoomi giggles and puts down another finger, Papa Miya tenses his back and Atsumu clenches his baby fists. 

“ _ One _ !” 

They strike!

“I gottcha!” 

But it isn’t Atsumu who says so. 

“C’mere, y’lil rascal!” 

Atsumu squeals and dodges Papa Miya’s hands as the merman laughs along with him and pretends to grab him. 

“ _Nah_! Papa, stop it!” The boy wails as Papa Miya almost grabs him. “No fair!”

Kiyoomi doubles over in his fit of giggles and points at Atsumu having the time of his life. Atsumu groans at Kiyoomi and waves his arms. 

“Don’t act like y’just werent cryin’ like a baby!” Atsumu wails quickly at Kiyoomi as he just barely dodges Papa Miya again. “Omi, _shaddup_!”

Kiyoomi is laughing too hard to care. He is having too much fun to even take note. All he can see are the blurred silhouettes of his friend and Papa Miya through his wet lashes. He drowns in another fit of laughter as Atsumu bares his teeth at him. 

“Omi, ya traitor! Ya big, fat and ight traitor!” Atsumu pants. “ Double crosser! ”

Papa Miya snickers and dives under, giving Atsumu no give as he gathers his son into his arms and hugs him tight. “Gottcha!” 

“Hey, no fair!” Atsumu cries, struggling against his dad. “That’s dirty!” 

“No yer just a sore loser.” Papa Miya grins as he repeats his son’s words to Suna earlier, earning himself another groan and a weak punch to his shoulder with spiky fins. “That’s what I heard ya say t’poor Sunarin.” 

“That’s ‘cause he is!” Atsumu retorts with a smug huff, dissolving into happy yelps as Papa Miya begins to spin him around. “He’s the sore loser! And so are ya!”

“I don’t believe ya,” 

“Y’should! Take a note from m—  _ aha _ !” Just as Atsumu is about to scold his dad, he cuts himself off with a scream of laughter as Papa Miya’s fingers attack his stomach and sides with no mercy. 

“ _ Gehehehehe _ ! N-nah, papa!” Atsumu shrieks, Kiyoomi’s own of laughter mingling with his as Papa Miya’s calm giggles join in. He shakes his head as he gets lifted over lean shoulders and flicks his tail as he is spun around. “Papa, I give!  _ I give _ _!_ ” 

Kiyoomi has never laughed so hard in his life. He has never felt so happy than he did with the Miya’s. He was laughing so hard that his laughter subsided to wheezes as Papa Miya let Atsumu go and watched their way out. He was still trying to quell his giggles as Atsumu was pulling him along, and this time, he joined in. 

The laughter seemed to never end. He wanted this moment to be like the laughter; to never end.

_ He hoped that it would stay this way; his happiness and his life. _


	3. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /// time skip ///

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to scream at me 🥲 it’s okay

Kiyoomi loved where he was, he loved his family; his friends. His heart was grounded to this reef and he was so familiar with everything around that he never wanted to leave. 

But things change, be they for better or for worse.

“How exactly are  _you_ going to tell  _your_ son that we’re leaving the place he calls home?!” 

“Why don’t  _you_ figure out how to tell  _your_ son, then!” 

“He’s  _our_ son!” 

“It didn’t sound like he was  _our_ son,” the merman rolled his eyes, “when you were telling _me_ to tell him!” 

The mermaid threw her hands up in the air, exasperated as she was at loss for what to do. “We’ll tell him together then!” She turns away from her husband and sighs, running her hand through her dark hair. “I just hope this works.”

“I doubt it,” the merman replies as he swishes his tail, “but if not, I’ll show him what’ll happen.” 

* * *

“We’re leaving.” 

“What?” 

“Pack your bags.” 

“What?” 

“Are you deaf? I said pack your bags.” 

Again, all that Kiyoomi manages is a broken, “..  _What_?” 

* * *

Kiyoomi finds himself backed up against the cartridge like walls, face red, lip swelling and eyes wide as his parents are bobbling in front of him, his mother’s arms outstretched and father standing with his arms crossed, impassive. 

“Omi, sweetheart please try to understand.” She is saying to him, but Kiyoomi can’t make out anything else. His ears are clogged and his mind won’t process. 

He shakes his head, biting back a cry. 

“It’s for the best.” His father adds, still refusing to meet his gaze. 

_For the best? _ Kiyoomi wants to scream.  _Have you ever done anything that’s best for me and not yourself?!_ Instead his mouth falls open and he lets out a loud sob. 

“Omi, baby, please.” His mother tries again. “It’s time for us to find a new place, a new life.” 

Kiyoomi doesn’t understand. He doesn’t want to understand. Better life? He was fine where he was. A new place? Why? He had friends here, he was happy here, he had everything he needed,  wanted , here. He pushes himself flush against the firming wall, crystal droplets disappearing into the sand below him. 

“No,” he gasps, tongue tripping in his desperation to wake up from this nightmare. In his desperation for his parents to break out into smiles and tell him that they were joking, that this wasn’t real. Only, it never happened. This was for real. Kiyoomi shakes his head, curls bobbing. “ _No!”_

“Omi, let’s talk about this-" 

Kiyoomi doesn’t want to talk, and he doesn’t want to listen. Squeezing his eyes shut and wrapping his small arms around his sides, the merboy bolts away from the wall and swims as fast as he can away from his parents. He can hear the shouts of his mother, urging him to come back and the grunts of his father as he blamed his mother for allowing this to happen; the mother growling at him in retaliation grow fainter and fainter as the distance between him and them grew greater and greater. 

“Kiyoomi, come back!” His mother. 

“Good riddance,” His father. 

* * *

Papa Miya isn’t likely to be taken by surprise. He doesn’t usually fall prey to things like jump scares and such. But even he didn’t expect to be barreled into this morning.

He didn’t expect to be woken by the sound of somebody pounding at the front door, to make his way out of bed from beside his wife and two boys to open the door and be greeted by a shaking mess of wails and tears. 

Miya Atsumu didn’t expect to wake up to his best friend’s heartbroken face this morning. He didn’t expect to spend the whole morning calming him down, for nothing to work. 

And neither Miya expected to hear what the merboy was going to tell them. But, even so, when Kiyoomi comes to the Miya’s conch hut one day, a complete mess and in tears, Atsumu and Miya know that something has gone horribly wrong. 

“Kiyoomi,” Papa Miya says, clearly puzzled for a moment before plastering a smile across his lips, “what a pleasant surprise!” 

Kiyoomi only shakes and shudders in response, giving both Atsumu who was swirling beside Miya’s tail and Papa Miya a shaky, “H-hi.”

Papa Miya’s smile, at seeing his second son look so devastated, immediately faded as he switched to the nickname that he used for the other merboy out of endearment. “Lil’ Omi,” he began swimming over to Kiyoomi and urging him inside, “what’s goin’ on? What happened?” 

Whatever was going on, Atsumu was positive that he didn’t want to hear it. Kiyoomi’s tears were never a good sign. The blonde merboy watched his friend stutter and gulp for air, shaking and trembling. Every inch of Kiyoomi quivered, making the roots of worry dig deeper into Atsumu’s heart. He watched his dad pat Sakusa’s shoulders and whisper to him, the little boy completely unresponsive, broken stutters that pierced the ears being the only things that he managed to let out.

“I-I-I..” Kiyoomi gulped before barreling into the merman’s stomach, wrapping his arms around Papa Miya’s waist and holding tight. “I-I-I-!” 

The merman nearly doubled over from the force in which Kiyoomi had rushed to him, but kept it to himself. Raising a hand, he began to stroke Kiyoomi’s hair and work his magic. “Lil’ Omi,” Papa Miya began to raise his voice, “lil’ Omi, calm down; take deep breaths.” 

Kiyoomi hiccuped, choking on tears, nearly suffocating himself. He let out a whimper, slowly let go of the merman and raised a dirty fist to wipe at his face. “O-okay..” 

Papa Miya let out a gasp as Kiyoomi smeared dirt all over his face, cheeks a horrible shade of crimson. “Oh my—” 

Atsumu began to fear that Kiyoomi was going to stop breathing. He needed to do something. With a cry of, “Sak’sa!” he lunged forwards and pounced at his friend, pushing him to the sandy flooring and laying on top of him. “Sak’sa, _snap out of it_!” 

“Atsumu get off of him,” Papa Miya said, face set.

The blonde merboy glanced up at his dad, eyes widening as he slowly pushed himself off of Kiyoomi before taking his arms and helping him up. 

Papa Miya sighed and pinches his temples. The gasping and hyperventilating seemed to have ceased for now but he noticed something else: there was a small trickle of blood coming from the dark haired merboy’s mouth. “C’mere,” he coos, kneeling and opening his arms for Kiyoomi to swim into. 

Kiyoomi does. Curling up as the merman wraps strong arms around him, he clings to Papa Miya’s neck as he gently carried him to their living room, Atsumu following. 

“Settle down, my little guppy.” He hums, placing Sakusa into a small bed and sitting him up. “Now,” he says as he settles down in front of Kiyoomi and cups face in his hands, thumbing away the hot tears before drawing away and letting Atsumu plop himself next to his friend. Dropping to his knees before the two boys, Papa Miya stared, serious, at the the merboy, at the  mess. “Lil’ Omi..”

Kiyoomi sniffled and looked up at Papa Miya, who nearly recoiled at the blue hues circling his eyes and the broken look on his face. “Y-yes?” He whispers.

Atsumu didn’t like the way Kiyoomi answered. He didn’t sound like Kiyoomi, and this wasn’t like the time he had teased him; this was serious. The longer he stared fearfully at Kiyoomi, the more he could feel the pieces slowly slot together. 

“Sak’sa?” He muttered, watching as Kiyoomi peeled his gaze away from Papa Miya to look at him. 

“Mm?” 

He didn’t want to ask, but he had to. “Did someone hit ya before y’came here?” 

Papa Miya raised an eyebrow. His son had come to the same deduction. Like father like son, he supposed. He watched his son “interrogate” Kiyoomi, heart breaking with every time the merboy flinched away and shook his head, desperately trying to keep away even though it was futile. Caving in, Kiyoomi hung his head and twisted his fingers in his lap, fins puffed out to show his discomfort. 

“I.. I got tangled in the seaweed when I was coming here and fell into the corals..”

Both Papa Miya and Atsumu seem to share one brain cell and look at Kiyoomi, eyebrows raised before exchanging looks with each other. 

_ Likely story.  _ Papa Miya was more familiar with Kiyoomi’s father. He knew how he felt about family and how he dealt with it. _Sure._

Atsumu tilts his head. It didn’t seem like Kiyoomi was lying, so he would buy that for now. He wasn’t so sure about his father, however. He glances to his dad as the merman speaks up.

“Why were ya in such a rush, lil’ Omi?” Papa Miya asked, stroking the dark curls. 

He and Atsumu watch Kiyoomi suck on a breath, their nervousness nearly mirroring Kiyoomi’s own. 

“Sak’sa,” Atsumu pleads with his friend, gently taking his arm and holding it in his hands, “tell us. I beg of ya,  _please_ tell us.” 

Kiyoomi lets out a sob and leans into Atsumu, seeking comfort from the warmth that his friend and father alike possessed. Atsumu relented and let them become a jumble of limbs as they hugged each other; Kiyoomi tightly and Atsumu comfortingly. Reaching up to tangle his fingers in Kiyoomi’s curls with his dad’s, Atsumu whispered, “Sak’sa, ye know that ya can tell us, right? We’re here for ya.” 

Kiyoomi mumbled incoherently as Papa Miya and Atsumu did their best to calm him down so that he could speak without stuttering. 

“There, there..” Papa Miya hushed.

“‘S alright, Sak’sa!” Atsumu cooed. 

Kiyoomi had enough. His little, childish fantasy had come to end end and he had enough. 

“It’s not okay!” He blurted, more upset than he had been, not wanting to cause his second family any more pain. “It’s not okay,  _it’s not okay!_ ” 

“S-Sak’sa?” 

Miya and Atsumu both clutched Kiyoomi to their chests, creating a warm blanket around him; but Kiyoomi knew that it was only for a fleeting moment, before he would be rid of the comfort. 

All things were said unspoken. Miya and Atsumu didn’t need to voice their nothings for the little mer, and Kiyoomi didn’t need to add volume to his sobs for them to understand him. Family understands, loves and supports unconditionally. That’s how it was supposed to be. Support was supposed to be given even when it wasn’t asked for.

“Omi, please tell us what’s wrong,” Papa Miya says, tone slightly pleading. 

Sakusa hiccups again, sobs wracking his body. He can’t find it in himself to speak, he can’t even bring himself to open his mouth. Even if someone were to try and pry his jaw apart, he couldn’t open his mouth and form the words itching his tongue. Whenever he tries, his throat tightens, choking him. He just can’t find it in his heart to break Papa Miya and Atsumu’s. 

“It’ll be alright my lil’ guppy,” Papa Miya is saying to him, making Kiyoomi’s tears fall faster. “‘M sure that we can work somethin’ out, no matter what it is.” 

“Yeah! We’re family, after all!” Atsumu chimes in. “That’s what family does for one another.” 

Kiyoomi just doesn’t have the heart to tell them. He doesn’t have the heart to say no, to tell them that he is no longer part of the little family. He feels like a traitor, and after all the love and acceptance the Miya’s had showed him, he is sure that he is. 

_Betrayal_ ,  one part of his mind screams at him. 

_Tell them_ ,  another part says. 

And what Kiyoomi brings to life with his hoarse voice is a tiny, broken, “ _I’m sorry.”_

**Author's Note:**

> When twt yelling becomes a messy fic


End file.
